Display arrangement for vending machines



Nov. 3, 1964 J. T. SCHULLER DISPLAY ARRANGEMENT FOR VENDING MACHINESFiled Jan. 28, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 l ll l I I FIG.I.

Nov. 3, 1964 J. T. SCHULLER DISPLAY ARRANGEMENT FOR VENDING MACHINESFiled Jan. 28, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent 3,155,442DEPLAYARRAWSEMENT FGR VENDlNG MACEIENES James T. Schuiler, St. Anns, Mm,assignor, by mesne assignments, to Universal Match (Iorporation,Ferguson, Mm, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 28, 1963, Ser. No.254,222 Claims. (Cl. 312-138) This invention relates to a displayarrangement for vending machines, and more particularly to such anarrangement for holding candy bars or other items in place in di playcompartments behind the display window of the door of a vending machine.

Among the several objects of the invention may be noted the provision ofa display arrangement of the class described adapted to hold an item ina desired display position during and after movement of the apparatuscontaining the display; the provision of means whereby the item isprevented from being dislodged from a proper display position to aposition against the display window, for example, during jarring orother movements of a vending machine; the provision of a displayarrangement such as described which is adapted to be utilized in vendingmachines having adjustable display compartments;

and the provision of such as arrangement which is simple and economicalin construction. tures will be in part apparent and in part pointed outhereinafter.

The invention accordingly comprises the constructions hereinafterdescribed, the scope of theinvention being indicated in the followingclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which one of various possibleembodiments of the invention is illustrated,

FIG. 1 is a view in front elevation of a vending machine employing theinvention;

FIG. 2 is a left side view of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view of portion of FIG. 1, parts beingremoved for clarity;

FIG. 4 is a vertical section on line 4-4 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary section taken on line 55' of FIG. 4.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views of the drawings.

In conventional vending machines, the kinds of candy or other itemsvended are normally disclosed by displaying one of each kind of item ina display window, each item being in generally the same vertical planewith the handle to be pulled for obtaining that particular kind of item.The displayed items are mounted on a display assembly behind a displaywindow. The display assembly and window normally form part of a doorwhich may be opened for refilling the vending machine. The conventionaldisplay includes a generally L-shaped support and a plurality ofpartitions dividing the support into a plurality of item receivingcompartments of fixed widths. l-leretofore, items not fitting thecompartment widths tended to fall over to one side of the compartmentupon vibration or jarring of the vending machines, especially if theitems were long and narrow, or the items would pivot forward intocontact with the display window upon closing the display assembly afterrearrangement or changing the items displayed. An attempt has been madeto remedy this diificulty by threading a continuous elastic memberthrough holes in the back panel of conventional display assemblies sothat a portion of the elastic member was located on this display face ofthe panel in each compartment. Thus one elastic member held in placeitems in several compartments and, if broken, aifected several items..Moreover, it made cleaning difficult. In addition, the partitions maybe laterally adjustable for varying the width of the compartments and insuch constructions,

Other objects and feaconventional elastic members interfere with theadjustments. The present invention obviates these difiiculties.

Referring now to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a vending machine in which thedisplay assembly of this invention is used is indicated at 1. Thevending machine has a conventional front door unit 3 vertically hingedto a main body 5 at 7 and adapted to swing open for'access to the insideof the door and main unit. The door 3 includes, among other things, adisplay window 9 behind which is mounted a display assembly 11, (seealso FIG. 4) for holding items, such as candy bars or the like, in adisplay position.

The display assembly 11 is shown in more complete detail in FIGS. 3 and4. it has a back panel 13 extending on the inside across thewidth of thedoor. This panel has two side supports, one of which is shown in FIGS.3-5. It will be understood that the other is identical and thattherefore a description of one suffices for both. At each end of thepanel 13 is a flanged end wall 14-. Each end wall 14 has a bracket 15afiixed to its lower end. Each bracket has an end, forked as at 18,rotatably carried on a pin 17. Each pin 17 is afiixed to the adjacentend wall 16 of the door. Thus the panel 13 and parts supported by it maybe applied to and removed from the pins 17 and may also be swungthereon.

A channel bar 19 is connected to and extends transversely across thedoor between the display. window 9 and the upper portion of assembly'11. The display assembly being pivotally mounted on studs 17 permitsthe assembly to be pivoted in the direction of arrow A so that thedisplay items become easily accessible for changing the display. Thedisplay assembly 11 is held in a closed position by a latch 21 pivotallymounted on a pin 23 which is located approximately in the center'of theupper portion of the assembly 11. Latch 21 is adapted to engage a finger25 extending down from the channel 19. A torsion spring 27 biases latch21 toward latching position.

Extending forward from the lower ends of the end walls 14 of the panel13 are two arms 29. A spacer support 31 is connected, as by spot weldsfor example, to the arms 29 and to the flanges of end walls 14. Support31 is formed to provide a lip 33, a seat 35, a back 37 and a ridge 39.Lip 33 engages the display window 9. Seat 35 engages arms 29, and back37 engages the flanged end walls 14. Seat 35 and ridge 39 are providedwith a plurality of slots 41 and 43, respectively, for. receivingtongues 45 and 47 of partitions 49. Tongues 45 have pins 50 for lockingthe partitions in the respective slots 41. Compartments 52 are thusformed between adjacent partitions 49. Each partition 49 can be placedin any one of three positions to vary the width of the adjacentcompartments for receiving items of different Widths.

Items on display are maintained in a display position regardless ofjarring of the vending machine or the closing of the display assembly ordoor by an L-shaped item holder 51 having a seat 53 and back 55. Anelastic member 57, such as a rubber band, is adapted to encircle theback 55 and an item I placed against it (see dotted line indications ofitems I in FIGS. 3 and 4). Aholder 51 is placed in each compartment ingenerally nesting relationship with the support 31, i.e., the seat 53rests on the seat of the support and back 55 rests via band 57 againstthe inclined back portion of the support. The seat 53, resting on theseat 35 of the support, prevents pivotal movement of the holder, therebypreventing pivotal movement of the item into contact with the displaywindow 9 or against one of the partitions 49. The lip 33 prevents theholder from sliding forward on the seat of the support.

It will thus be seen that the holders permit the items to be displayedwithout danger of falling over or otherwise being moved from theirdisplay position. More- 7 3 over, the holders, including the bands 57,can be easily removed when the vending machine is being cleaned andhence do not interfere with the cleaning process.

In view of the above, it will be seen that the several objects of theinvention are achieved and other advantageous results attained.

As various changes could be made in the above constructions withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, it is intended that allmatter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanyingdrawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitingsense.

What is claimed is:

1. A display assembly for a vending machine of the type having a doormovable from a closed to an open position, the door having a displaywindow for items to be displayed, said assembly comprising panel meanspivotally connected at its lower end to the door and adapted formovement from a closed position at the inside of the door to an openposition, means releasably latching the panel means in a closedposition, a plurality of partitions connected to said panel meansadapted to form a plurality of compartments visible through the displaywindow, said panel means having a seat portion and a back portion, and aholder for an item in each compartment, said holder having a seatresting on said seat portion and a back extending upwardly along saidback portion to prevent pivotal movement of the respective holderrelative to said panel means, each of said holders being adapted to havean item placed against its back portion and held in a display position.

2. A display assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said holder isL-shaped, and said panel means further includes a lip extending upwardlyfrom the seat portion adjacent the forward portion thereof to preventforward movement of said holder.

3. A display assembly for candy items or the like in a vending machineof the type having a door movable from a closed to an open position, thedoor having a display window, said assembly comprising a back panelpivotally connected at its lower end to the door on the inside of thedoor and adapted for pivotal movement from a closed position to an openposition, means releasably latching the panel in a closed position, asupport connected to said panel, said support having a lip adapted toengage the display window, a seat extending rearwardly from said lip, aback extending upwardly from said seat, and a ridge at the upper edge ofsaid back, said ridge and seat having a plurality of slots therein, aplurality of partitions extending between said slots in said ridge andsaid slots in said seat to form item-receiving compartments visiblethrough the display window, and item hoiders in each compartment, eachitem holder having a seat resting on the seat of said support and a backextending upwardly along the back of said support to prevent pivotalmovement of the respective holder relative to said support, the forwardedge of the seat of each holder being adjacent said lip, each of saidholders being adapted to have an elastic band placed around its back andan'item placed adjacent its back for holding the item in a displayposition.

4. A display assembly as set forth in claim 3 wherein the combination ofthe seat and back of said support is L-shaped and each of said holdersis L-shaped, each of said holders being in generally nestingrelationship with the seat and back of said support.

5. In a display assembly having a generally L-shaped item support,partitions on said support dividing it into a plurality of itemreceiving compartments, and means for maintaining each item in a displayposition in its compartment; said means comprising a plurality ofgenerally L-shaped holders in generally nesting relationship with saiditem support, one of said holders being in each of said compartments,and a plurality of elastic members, at least one for each holder,adapted to surround the respective holder and also an item placed on therespective holder, for maintaining the respective item in a displayposition.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,363,542 Meyer Nov. 28, 1944 2,430,637 Dimling Aug. 30, 1949 2,597,435Bjoro May 20, 1952 2,825,488 Nelson Mar. 4, 1958 2,960,373 Caruso Nov.15, 1960 3,033,631 Katz May 8, 1962 FOREIGN PATENTS 872,764 GreatBritain July 12, 1961

3. A DISPLAY ASSEMBLY FOR CANDY ITEMS OR THE LIKE IN A VENDING MACHINEOF THE TYPE HAVING A DOOR MOVABLE FROM A CLOSED TO AN OPEN POSITION, THEDOOR HAVING A DISPLAY WINDOW, SAID ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A BACK PANELPIVOTALLY CONNECTED AT ITS LOWER END TO THE DOOR ON THE INSIDE OF THEDOOR AND ADAPTED FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT FROM A CLOSED POSITION TO AN OPENPOSITION, MEANS RELEASABLY LATCHING THE PANEL IN A CLOSED POSITION, ASUPPORT CONNECTED TO SAID PANEL, SAID SUPPORT HAVING A LIP ADAPTED TOENGAGE THE DISPLAY WINDOW, A SEAT EXTENDING REARWARDLY FROM SAID LIP, ABACK EXTENDING UPWARDLY FROM SAID SEAT, AND A RIDGE AT THE UPPER EDGE OFSAID BACK, SAID RIDGE AND SEAT HAVING A PLURALITY OF SLOTS THEREIN, APLURALITY OF PARTITIONS EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID SLOTS IN SAID RIDGE ANDSAID SLOTS IN SAID SEAT TO FORM ITEM-RECEIVING COMPARTMENTS VISIBLETHROUGH THE DISPLAY WINDOW, AND ITEM HOLDERS IN EACH COMPARTMENT, EACHITEM HOLDER HAVING A SEAT RESTING ON THE SEAT OF SAID SUPPORT AND A BACKEXTENDING UPWARDLY ALONG THE BACK OF SAID SUPPORT TO PREVENT PIVOTALMOVEMENT OF THE RESPECTIVE HOLDER RELATIVE TO SAID SUPPORT, THE FORWARDEDGE OF THE SEAT OF EACH HOLDER BEING ADJACENT SAID LIP, EACH OF SAIDHOLDERS BEING ADAPTED TO HAVE AN ELASTIC BAND PLACED AROUND ITS BACK ANDAN ITEM PLACED ADJACENT ITS BACK FOR HOLDING THE ITEM IN A DISPLAYPOSITION.